Green Party Activist and Founder of Code Pink Medea Benjamin Heckles President Obama

Medea Benjamin, a Green Party activist, and the party’s U.S. Senate nominee in California in 2000, is the subject of many news stories on May 23. She was in the audience at President Obama’s speech to the National Defense University, and she interrupted the President with questions about why he doesn’t close Guantanamo Prison and related matters. See this story, one of many. Also this story talks about how she gained admittance to the room. Here is a you tube of what Benjamin said.

In 2000 she polled 326,828 votes for U.S. Senate in California, 3.08%, placing third in a race with seven candidates on the ballot.

An excerpt from the first article, by Aaron Blake, published in the Washington Post May 23rd:

Toward the end of Obama’s address, a woman identified in the White House pool report as Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of the anti-war organization Code Pink, implored the president to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and otherwise criticized his foreign policy.

Through three separate episodes, the president traded words with the woman, asking her to let him finish and succeeding — at least momentarily — twice.

“Why don’t you sit down, and I will tell you exactly what I’m going to do,” Obama said, ending their first exchange. “Thank you, ma’am.”

But soon, Benjamin was back, apparently not happy with Obama’s comments about sending detainees to other countries, pleading with him to “release them today.” She was again quieted, and Obama even acknowledged her opinion was valid.

Here’s the event I mentioned above: I don’t know if there will be press there. Would someone like to attend with me? I promise I’ll behave. Email me if you can

Libertarian Law Council

Dear Colleague:

I am pleased to invite you to the next meeting of the Libertarian Law Council. The event is co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society.

Drones and Due Process

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Speakers: Prof. John C. Yoo, Professor of Law, UC Berkeley School of Law

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I admire Medea Benjamin, even after she quit the Greens and joined “Progressive Democrats of America”. I understand quitting the Greens, it’s the Democrat part I find dubious.

She’s good at this sort of thing because she doesn’t start screaming, or using abusive language. She uses a raised tone of voice, but never threatening, and she stays on point. I know she’s had years of practice at this sort of thing, but I do admire Code Pink for this sort of action.

I could see Libertarians working with Code Pink around button-holing regressive politicians like Obama (or Dubya).